CVE-2010-1320 in Kerberos
Summary
by MITRE
Double free vulnerability in do_tgs_req.c in the Key Distribution Center (KDC) in MIT Kerberos 5 (aka krb5) 1.7.x and 1.8.x before 1.8.2 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service (daemon crash) or possibly execute arbitrary code via a request associated with (1) renewal or (2) validation.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2025
The CVE-2010-1320 vulnerability represents a critical double free error within the Key Distribution Center implementation of MIT Kerberos 5 version 1.7.x and 1.8.x prior to 1.8.2. This flaw exists in the do_tgs_req.c source file, which handles Ticket Granting Service requests within the Kerberos authentication framework. The vulnerability specifically affects the processing of renewal and validation requests, making it particularly dangerous as these are fundamental operations in Kerberos authentication protocols. The double free condition occurs when the same memory block is deallocated twice, which can lead to unpredictable behavior and potentially allow attackers to manipulate memory structures.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an authenticated attacker who can submit specially crafted TGS requests to the KDC service. When the vulnerable code processes these requests, it fails to properly manage memory allocation and deallocation sequences, resulting in a double free scenario. This condition can manifest in two primary ways: either causing the KDC daemon to crash and restart, leading to denial of service, or potentially allowing arbitrary code execution through memory corruption that could be leveraged by an attacker. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and memory management practices within the Kerberos protocol implementation, particularly when handling time-based ticket renewals and validation operations.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to organizations relying on Kerberos authentication systems, as it can be exploited by authenticated users who may already have some level of access to the network. The potential for denial of service means that legitimate users could be unable to authenticate to services protected by Kerberos, while the arbitrary code execution capability could allow attackers to escalate privileges and gain unauthorized access to critical systems. The vulnerability affects all systems using affected Kerberos versions, including those running on Unix, Linux, and other operating systems that implement MIT Kerberos. This makes it particularly concerning for enterprise environments where Kerberos is widely deployed for single sign-on and service authentication.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to Kerberos 5 version 1.8.2 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the double free condition. Additionally, network segmentation and access controls should be strengthened to limit the potential impact of authenticated attacks. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual authentication patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-415, which describes improper handling of memory allocation and deallocation, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1059 for privilege escalation through code execution. Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to ensure all Kerberos implementations are properly patched and maintained. Organizations should also consider implementing intrusion detection systems to monitor for potential exploitation attempts targeting Kerberos services.